Carnival Birthday

Well the miss is 6. We had a carnival birthday party yesterday and it was LOADS of fun!





There were bubbles and face painting.







We played a few games, including a tin can toss, goldfish toss, balloon darts and a duck hunt. Of course there were prizes as well. Each family also went home with a goldfish.











We had delicious Ice Cream Cone cupckaes which were super fun and easy to make. The kids devoured them.














All in all it was a total blast. I think all of the kids had great fun.

The Man On The Street Corner

This will most likely be lots of rambling...I'm not the best at being direct/getting to the point. Sara, says I'm verbose...it's true! But I have so many thoughts right now...stemming from the homeless man I saw this afternoon on the street corner..and I have to get them out.

It's cold outside...VERY cold. The weather channel says that it feels like 17 degrees right now. Despite the bitter chill in the air...and the THICK layer of ice I had to scrape off my windshield...I still ran an errand this afternoon.

But the cold isn't so bad when you blast the heat in your car...coffee helps too. I saw many drivers holding Starbucks cups. Thank goodness for cars, coffee and heat.

I sat in the left hand turn lane...headed home....and I saw him. He was across the way...at the other side of the intersection. I've seen him once or twice before, I think. He seems to hang out on this particular street corner a lot. He looks to be in his 50's...maybe older. He just stands, very still...holding a sign that says that he is homeless.

He doesn't get pushy...he never even directly looks at anyone...he doesn't go up to the cars and stare at the drivers, as I have seen others do in the past....He just looks straight ahead...holding his sign.

Seeing him today though, made me teary-eyed. It is just so cold outside. He had an old, worn baseball cap on...but that was definitely not enough to keep his head warm. He had nothing covering his ears. His coat was not very heavy. Thank goodness he did have some gloves on.

I couldn't stop watching him out of the corner of my eye. So badly I wanted to drive over to him..tell him to get in my car...take him to my house and give him a nice hot meal....but since this world is a scary place....since I have young children in my home...and since I don't know anything about him...I didn't.....I wouldn't....but oh how I wanted to.

Maybe he really is the sweetest man...maybe he served our country once....maybe he wouldn't hurt a fly...but of course...there is no way to know that.

I did wipe a tear from my eye...when I realized that I really couldn't help him. I did watch one lady roll down her window and hand him some cash. That was nice. If I had had a cup of coffee with me...I would have given it to him.

I know that many people say that the people who hang out on the street corners with their signs...are just trying to get some easy money...just trying to hit up a bar for a drink...or get some cigarettes. But, I don't know how much I believe that....not sure if that is true in all circumstances...BUT I do feel that anyone who is out there in THIS WEATHER...really has no other choice.

As I finished driving to my WARM home...I couldn't shake his image out of my head. Funny thing is, this morning when I woke up in my comfy bed.....ate breakfast....and played with my children in various rooms in our house...I never once thought about anybody else...about any homeless people dealing with the cold weather....never even crossed my mind.

I know I have a compassionate heart...I know I have helped people....I know that there are causes that I care about....but it seems like I do it in spurts....I'll really rally behind something for a bit...but then I get caught up in my life...my day to day.....and I find that some time goes by....before I REALLY help another person (outside of my family).

But then I see someone...like this man on the street corner....and it hits me. Why is it that we have TO SEE IT before our hearts break?

How different would it be...if all street corners were lined with young children from Northern Uganda with signs asking for help....or if street corners were lined with abused children....or children looking for someone to adopt them....or homeless families.

Is that what we need before we take action?

If you woke up tomorrow morning...and a mother from Africa was in your front yard with her babies.....would you help her then?

Just something to think about.

I prayed for the man on the street corner. I prayed that he would have somewhere warm to sleep tonight. And I'll continue to pray for him.

And I Told Her That I Loved Her Butterfly Dress

Yes, you all know that I love American Idol and also that I adore Brooke White. I was such a fan of hers during her season of Idol. I loved her personality, her vocal style and her clothes. I especially loved her butterfly dress.



I can get a little obsessive about things that catch my eye. I remember googling as soon as that episode aired to find out where I could get that dress. I did finally find it, and the designer and saw the price tag. And some obsessions, well you just have to let them float away...because there was no way I would be able to afford Brooke White's dress.

If you want to know, it's alice + olivia. $396 for the long dress, $330 for the short version. But that was awhile ago, so it might not even be sold anymore. Or maybe it's on clearance somewhere...hmmmmmm

Anyway, this past July, I had the opportunity to watch Brooke perform a few songs from her new album, High Hopes & Heartbreak. She also included her version of "Let It Be", which she performed on Idol. Because I am obsessive such a fan, I caught her right after her sound check, but right before hair and makeup, and talked briefly with her about American Idol.

I also told her that I loved her butterfly dress. She laughed and said, everyone remembers that dress. Supposedly she wore it on the night she infamously stopped her song and asked to start over. I honestly didn't remember that.



Anyway, we snapped a picture, and I left so that she could go get all dolled up for her performance later that night. A little later on in the evening, Janice interviewed her.



While the interview was being conducted, I chatted briefly with her manager and almost begged him to um, listen to me sing, or help me make an album..or anything..something. Actually, I awkwardly asked him his advice on how a young mom can get an "in" into the music business if they have no demo or representation....he looked at me like I was an idiot...and told me that Youtube helps to get exposure.

So, check out my Youtube page soon for various karaoke style numbers ... KIDDING!!!

I am over the whole wanting a music career deal. I love the life God has blessed me with. Anyway, enough about THAT.

Check out our interview with Brooke White. She dishes about American Idol, talks about her new album and shows us once again that she is just the sweetest person EVER.



Oh, and check out her album too. :)

Toot Toot Chugga Chugga

I took Isaiah to see The Wiggles last week. He is a HUGE, HUGE fan of the foursome, and I mean HUGE. You should see Isaiah rock out to The Wiggles.

Funny thing is, when the concert started, Isaiah froze up. Perhaps he was in shock or very star-struck. Whatever it was, he sat on my lap and clung to me for almost the entire show. I tried to get him to dance around and play his new Wiggles guitar that I just HAD to buy him before the show started. But Isaiah would have nothing to do with dancing.

In fact, when Murray, his favorite Wiggle, came down the aisle, stood right next to us, and waved hello, Isaiah just stared at him, with his jaw to the ground. But you know if Brad Pitt came right next to me and said hi, I would most likely have the same response.

Before the very last song started, The Wiggles asked everyone in the audience to stand up and dance along. Finally, Isaiah jumped off my lap and boogied down, just like he does in our living room.

And, since our seats were just four rows from the stage, and on the aisle, Isaiah got to move around and get pretty close to the stage. (Side note: My tickets were only $33 a piece.)

Anyway, I filmed Isaiah dancing and playing his guitar to the last song of the night. He's just so stinking cute.

What I Learned At BlogHer

I learned some valuable things this year at BlogHer 2009 -

1. I NEED a cell phone. It's true, I don't own a cell phone. I haven't owned one for over 4 years. Apparently that is a very rare thing these days. The car service people I talked to using the payphone at the airport, were in shock....so were the lovely reps at the T-Mobile booth, when I spun the prize wheel, hoping and praying to win a phone. I didn't win one by the way. But I did receive a container of mints...in the shape of a cell phone.

1.5 If I had had a cell phone, I would not have found it necessary to walk for miles and miles around the Sheraton, in horrible shoes, trying to locate Janice and Susan. And just so you know, those ladies can be HARD to find!

2. My favorite booth at the expo was the Hanes booth because it had cupcakes..tons and tons of little, delightful cupcakes. They were a smart bunch, those Hanes folks...and attracted many.....or maybe just many visits from me.


3. The only swag you need to bring home for your kids is Mr. Potato Head. All of the other stuff will hardly get a second glance.

4. Speaking of Mr. Potato Head, his wife, Mrs. Potato Head, is an extraordinary dancer and loves to jam out to Baby Got Back.



5. PR people are the beautiful people, seriously. They are also super friendly and easy to talk to.

6. Some of the sessions at BlogHer are for people who are quite a bit more liberal than I am. I was a bit uncomfortable in the few that I did attend....to be honest.

7. When you are sorting through pounds and pounds of swag with your roommates and cameraman at 3:00 A.M. and are so tired that all of you are acting drunk (very loud, hyper, funny) the knock on your door won't be a hotel employee or security. It will instead be a group of drunk folks hoping that they found a happening party.

*side note: we gave tons and tons of the swag away to charity and were so happy to have the opportunity to do that.*

8. The conference and parties are almost more exhausting than caring for 3 kiddos.I still haven't caught up on sleep.

9. It's fun getting to the parties a tad earlier than everyone else...due to setting up for interviews. There was something relaxing about getting to chill in the party area...before all of the screaming, blasting music and hundreds of people.

10. I do get teary-eyed listening to a former American Idol contestant perform...because deep down I want so much to be making albums and putting on shows. But then the tears stop as I reflect on what I do have in my life....my gorgeous, amazing children and wonderful husband. Mine is a far more blessed life. :)



11. When you have been away from your kids for a number of days, when you finally get to see them again...they look tons bigger. I swear my kids grew like crazy while I was away.

12. Janice and Susan rock! They are incredible, seriously. When those two are at a conference, they work so hard. They've got the X factor in the social media world. I am so blessed to work with them.

13. Rachel at Grasping For Objectivity, has got to be one of the sweetest people I have ever met....and has convinced me that I need to visit Alabama.


14. Gwen Bell is such an amazing, incredible person. We have a fabulous interview with her....that you must watch as soon as it's live.
Photo from Flickr (http://www.flickr.com/photos/eyeficard/3755804825/)

15. I am already looking forward to BlogHer 2010 in NEW YORK CITY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Walk Like An Egyptian

He's walking, so I HAD to make a little video!

Just promise me that you will ignore my messy house. It's easy to do, if you just focus on his cute little legs, instead of all of the toys strewn about. Deal????

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Getting To Know Me, Before BlogHer

Yep, I stole this idea from the BlogHer site, a couple other ladies did it, so in case you'd like to know a bit more about me, before bumping into me at BlogHer, here goes:

* Hi, Howdy, I'm Erica. Mommy of three little ones. I'm very sweet, sometimes pretty shy, and I can be loads of fun. I look MUCH younger than I really am, just so you know...in fact I am turning 30 this year. CRAZY!

* I work for 5 Minutes for Mom.

* In fact, I will probably spend most of my time at the side of Janice and Susan at their beck and call...I am their trusty assistant. :) We like to pretend I'm their little sister...once you see the three of us together, you'll understand.

* The girls will be doing tons of video interviews, so be sure to look for us if you'd like us to interview you and feature you on 5 Minutes for Mom.

* You will also find me singing my heart out during the karaoke party. At least that is the plan. :)

* I have a tendency to be pretty quiet around people I don't know, especially in large groups. But once I feel comfortable, you won't be able to get me to shut up.

* I love to people watch too, so sometimes I am off in my own world, just observing and taking it all in. Just hit me upside the head if you want to talk to me and I seem to be out of it. :)

* I will break out of my shell at the parties, I will...music and fun...I can't wait.

* At BowlHer, I will try to get pretty close to where Brooke White is performing, because I LOVE her, and I will try to convince Janice and Susan to interview her, so I can have a chance to let her know that I love her and that I loved the butterfly dress she wore on idol.

* I am horrible with names, so horrible...I'm sorry. :(

* I still have no idea what all I am going to wear....I have like no clothes, seriously...just tees and jeans with holes in the knees. I work from home and sometimes I stay in my pjs all day.

* I can't wait to meet all of you...and to put faces to all the lovely blogging ladies who I have gotten to know online.

* Oh, Oh.... I will be the one with the power strip. Yep, I plan on having mine with me at all times. So, if you have a low battery, look for me in the sessions, okay? I will happily let you plug in.

* I get to use my brand new Toshiba laptop at BlogHer! Oh, and while YOU are there, be sure to look around for three lovely ladies who will be wearing Toshiba buttons and carrying around Toshiba laptops and/or minis, because if you find one of them, you could LEAVE BlogHer with a new Toshiba laptop. SERIOUSLY!

* More about the Toshiba BlogHer hunt here.

* Oh, and again...I AM SOOOOOOOO EXCITED FOR BLOGHER!!!!

On my way to where the air is sweet......

As a young child, I loved Sesame Street!! It was definitely one of my FAVORITE shows. I had Sesame Street decor in my room and I even owned two Sesame Street albums - one was in Spanish. Like I said, I LOVED Sesame Street.

As a mom, it delights me when my children enjoy things that I also enjoyed growing up. Sadly, not one of my three kids has the same excitement as I did for Sesame Street.

They don't ever ask to watch it, and if I do put it on, they usually just ignore it.

I'm not quite sure why it saddens me so much that my kiddos aren't dancing around and singing along to the ever popular Sesame Street theme song or counting along with some of my favorite childhood puppets. Oh well.

What about you? Is there something that you remember loving so much as a child that you just can't seem to get your little one enthused about?

Magic Toilet Seat In Chicago

So last week, I promised you a video of the magical toilet seats in the Chicago airport. My video didn't come out well, but a quick search on youtube, and there were TONS to choose from. I am glad to know that I am not the only person to videotape a toilet seat.

Here is a link to someone else's video of the toilet seat magic - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cU_CRF0GpI

Want Inspiration?

I was completely blown away by the Kmart Designers that I met at the Sears Home Design Summit. What a group of truly creative and passionate individuals.

Here is a little glimpse into their trend trips, where they gather different inspiration from different parts of the world. In this video, they are in Paris working on their spring 2010 Home Product line. I got a sneak peek at this line, and let me tell you, it's STUNNING!

Labels: Sears Home Design Summit

Fun In The Windy City

Well, I am in Chicago for The Sears Design Summit. Tonight we had a cocktail reception (a kind of meet and greet, if you will). It was a blast. I finally got to meet some GREAT mommy bloggers. It is always so nice when you can put a face to the name. I also got to sit next to and even play with little Ivy. I was thrilled to finally get to meet Ivy! She is such a doll....so very entertaining.

My friend, Andrea, who ordered me to go and do something after the cocktail reception as opposed to just sitting in my hotel room by myself, will be proud to know that I caught a showing of The Proposal, with Gabrielle, Christine and Lori. The movie was GREAT! If you've been thinking about seeing it, GO and SEE IT! There were some incredibly funny scenes. The whole movie is just lighthearted and fun. I really enjoyed it.

Tomorrow is jam packed and should be a lot of fun. I can't wait to share with you some fun things going on in the Sears/Kmart world...so, stay tuned.

Also, have any of you been to the O'Hare airport recently? What is up with the toilets and their rotating seat protectors? If you have no idea what I am talking about, stay tuned...because I will be capturing it all on video before boarding my plane for home.

Our 4th of July Barbecue

How quickly holiday weekends come and go. Did you all have a wonderful 4th? I hope that you get a chance to take part in the Hebrew National July 4th Virtual Backyard Barbecue over at 5 Minutes for Mom.

We had such fun during our 4th of July barbecue. The sun was shining, the kids were smiling and the food was divine!

Here's a fun little slideshow from my 4th of July barbecue sponsored by Hebrew National. ENJOY!

Today's Happy Moments

Audrey Finally Earning Her Jewelry Box


Isaiah Excitedly Playing His New Diego Game


Creativity With Flowers and Toys, Courtesy of Audrey


Tickles Before Bed Time

Helping Ian

I can not even begin to imagine what it would be like to one moment have a happy, healthy baby boy and the next moment find yourself in the PICU praying incessantly as your little one's body works to recover from some very scary injuries.

This is Ian's Story (as told by his mom):
On April 15, 2009, our precious 7 month old son, Ian, was taken to the hospital from sustaining an injury at our babysitter's home. By the time we got to the ER, he was seizing a lot and "very sick," as the doctors put it. They had the entire ER working on our sweet little boy for over 3 hours just to get him stabilized to move to the Memorial Hospital for Children.

We found out that he had a brain bleed and swelling on the left side of his brain. He was placed under drug induced paralysis and put on heavy narcotics to keep him asleep for 6 days.

After being 'awakened' from his drug-induced sleep. He was not moving his right side much at all. He was taken off the ventilator 2 days later. The neurologist examined Ian and determined that he has some issues with vision in his right eye and only time will tell what will heal the lack of movement in his right arm.

We spent 2 weeks of tiring nights at the hospital. A huge strain on our sweet little 3 year old's life as she couldn't quite understand what had happened to her little brother, and why mommy could not come home and be with her. She kept asking when her "baby brother could come home."

Praise God, he is healing my son, and we are so thankful that we were able to return home almost 2 weeks to the minute of Ian going to the hospital. We are thankful he is here!

We still have a long road as he exhibits problems with some right-side weakness and vision issues in his right eye. He is requiring physical therapy and medication to prevent seizures. We do not know what his long-term affects might be from this. Again, only time will tell.

Being a family that has utilized two incomes, we are now reconsidering how to proceed. I've been home and plan on staying home until our son is, what I would consider, stable which could be a very long time from now. We will be under financial strain, but we have no other choice at this point.

As a friend of Ian's family, my heart broke when I heard what had happened. I ached especially for Ian's mom. Like I said above, I truly can not imagine how terrifying and difficult those 2 weeks were.

Her family's strong faith has been so admirable during this ordeal. As Ian fought in the hospital to recover, there were many of us praying, and I tell you what, little Ian is proof of what prayer can do.

Here is Ian two weeks later........


Yes, he had improved significantly, praise God!!! However as his mom stated above, there is still a long road ahead.

Here's where you come in.......

I have decided to hold a giveaway for Ian here at my blog. I am hoping that by gathering together some fun prizes and asking for all giveaway entrants to make a small donation, that perhaps together we can help Ian's family as they pay continuous medical bills.


If you have a product you would like to donate for the giveaway, please email me: butterflykissesblog(at)gmail(dot)com.

Thank you for your consideration, it means so much to me.

Together, let's help Baby Ian.

Summer Song

I found the following post, Summer Song, moving. I am sure that it might have to do with the fact that Audrey starts Kindergarten in the fall. You should take a moment to read it, it's sweet.

Summer Song at 5 Minutes for Parenting.